Control device for automotive vehicles



June 6, 1933, E. T. PLATZ CONTROL DEVICE FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES Filed Feb. 23, 1928 I N VEN TOR. 6 77%? By A TTORNE Y.

Patented June 6, 1933 mum- AT ,Enwoon'r. PLATZ, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN .oon'rnon nEvIon Fen AU'rorio'rIvn VEHICLES f p Application filed February 2a, 1928. Serial No. 256,142.

The present invention relates ,to control devices for'automotive vehicles and more "especiallyytoflcontrol devices for such vehicles as re propelled'by internal combustion Lengin'esf f g "In the conventional vehicles of this type, it is customary to provide upon the instrument board thereof, a switch by means of whichan electric circuit maybe made or broken through the ignition devices for the lingthe carburetor of said engine sovas to causethe latter to producefarich gaseous mixture for starting said motor. 4 This latterfmeans is commonly called the choke, control and is usually in the form of a rod movable in and out to operate a suitable valvein the carburetor. It is like wise customary to provide, in the drivers D compartment, a 1 suitablefswitch whereby current from-Ta storage battery'may be directed'through amotor which cranks the en- "gine, also for the purpose of starting.

"It is customary to provide these several devices at convenient locations in the drivers compartment but the conventional vehicle has them as separate controls with the starter switch usually operable by the drivers foot. a

Among the objects of the present invention is to combine the three controls mentioned, into a single device operable by means'of a single handle and at the same "time certain ones are operable individually, 1 if desired.

Other objects will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon. reference to the following description and the accompanying drawing in which vided with a suitable cover 12. iSecured in "ofthe carburetor, (not shown). 1 r

the casing and suitably insulated therefrom are two contact members 14 provided with external means 15a forattachment of proper wires or other conductors which conductors form part of the starting motor circuit. Also extending through the casing are twosuitable insulated leads 15 leading to the ignition circuit, connected inside of the casing with contact plates 16 which in turn are mounted upon an insulating base 17. enginefand likewise am'eans for controlparallel'to but spaced from. eachother, with the outer ends 18 thereof curved toform arcs The plates 16 are arranged on the base 17 ofwhich the center is a shaft 19. This shaft 19 consists ofa rodextending through thej casing and through the instrument board having at the end protruding from the in- The other end of therod 19 is provided with means 21 for the connection of a rodor wire extendingto the choke valve Therod 19 is splined in asleeve25 which '1 forms apart of a leverv 26 andyin order to provide-proper bearings for the rod 19 a yoke 27 is secured tothe bottomof the casing having its arms eiitending vertically and provlded w th openings through which said rod extends andin which the latter has bearings. This yoke will also position the sleeve 25 lengthwise of the rod 19. r 1

As mentioned above, the sleeve 25 forms a part of the lever26 having two arms 26a and 26b extendingon opposite sides of the sleeve and inclined somewhat toward each other. The lever arm 26a carries on one face thereof and insulated therefrom a double spring contact member 28 adapted to contact with the plate parts 18 and thereby complete a circuit between the terminals 15. The

other end 26?) of the lever carries a boss 30,

preferably on the opposite side of the lever from contact member 28, which boss is bored axiallyon the face of the lever arm corresponding to the face carryingthe contact 28. In the axial bore isa smallspring pressed plunger 31 adapted to press against a plate plunger 31, provides an indicating and holding means to hold the contact member 28 in proper position to complete the circuit above mentioned.

Also mounted within the casing 11, is a second yoke having Lip-standing arms 41 serving to position and mount a lever 42 having bearings in said arms 41. This lever 42 has a comparatively long arm 12a extending in the path of lug 30 on lever 26 so that when the lever 26 is rotated beyond thestop 33, the arm 26b of lever 26 contacts with this arm 42a to operate the lever 42. The

other arm of lever 42 is adapted to move longitudinally a plunger 45 mounted in a' suitable yoke 4-6 on the side of the casing, and provided with suitable means to pre vent rotation, which plunger carries at its .upper end spring contact fingers i? adapted to complete the circuit between terminals 15a by bridging across the contacts 14. A suitable spring 48 is provided to break the circuit by movin the plunger down when the lever 12 is not being positively actuated.-

In the operation of the device, in starting the engine, the handle may be moved longitudinally to actuate the choke valve and may likewise be rotated to'make the ignition circuit through the bridging of contact member 28 across plates 18. Aproper running position of the ignition circuit will be indicated when the plunger 31 coacts with the depresslon 33 The ignition circuit will be maintained closed during the movement of rotation of lever'26 for a short distance beyond the stop 33 and the rotation may therefore be continued beyond the stop 33 for a suiiicient distance to permit the boss to press down the end 4266 of lever 42 to complete the circuit through the starting motor. 7

As soon as the engine has been cranked .suiiiciently, release of the handle 20 will perforth but only by the scope of the claims which follow.

I claim 1. In an automotive vehicle, a choke control rod movable longitudinally to operate said choke and adapted to be rotated, a switch lever mounted on said choke rod and adapted to be rotated thereby to make and break the ignition circuit, and a starting motor switch vrunning position.

2. AcontrQl unit for automotive vehicles,

The

comprising a casing adapted to be mounted upon the instrument board of said vehicle, and having a longitudinally movable shaft extending therethrough, said shaft being also rotatable, a handle on said shaft, a pair of levers in said casing operable in series by rotation of said shaft, ignition circuit contact members mounted in said casing, and starting motor circuit contact members also mounted in said casing, means carried by one of said levers for completing said ignition circuit, and means operated by the other of said levers for completing the starting motor circuit.

3. A control unit for automotive vehicles comprising a casing having terminals for a plurality of electric circuits mounted therecult and means on said second circuit closing means for returning said second means to the circuit breaking position.

4. A control device for an automotive vehicle propelled by an internal combustion engine comprising a unit containing in combination a starting switch, an ignition switch, a choke control, anda single element operatively connected to and adapted to operate said switches and said control, said single element being so mounted that it may be rotated, reciprocated, or rotated and reciprocated, as. desired, to enable actuating one or all of the switches and choke control thereby. ELWOOD, T. PLATZ. 

